


I'll Be Your Light

by awoogah123



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: California, Cute, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Ravens, Roommates, Scars, USC Trojans (All For The Game), beach, jean's transfer to USC, jerejean, jeremy just wants jean to be happy, mentions of past violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:33:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28431723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awoogah123/pseuds/awoogah123
Summary: Jean's journey with the Trojans and his relationship with Jeremy.
Relationships: Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau
Comments: 8
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

The bright California sunshine shone through the windows of LAX, casting the arrivals lounge in a bright light. It was hot, even for July, and Jean wasn’t used to this sort of heat, this amount of light. He wasn’t used to _any_ light, really. He felt stuffy and overly warm in the large hoodie he wore to conceal the majority of his injuries that covered his arms and torso, but he wouldn’t take it off, couldn’t. He kept the hood pulled up, trying to avoid attracting any attention to the mess that was his face. To the three number three that stood out starkly in contrast to the sea of purple and yellow bruising that currently engulfed his face.

Jean had been told that Jeremy would be here, waiting for him. Jean wasn’t entirely sure what to make out of Jeremy - they’d met before, briefly, during games and banquets - but that didn’t count, not really. Not when Riko’s tight grip on Jean had him doing whatever he wanted. Renee and Abby had thought it a great idea that Jean stay with Jeremy, and Kevin had assured Jean that Jeremy was an amazing guy. Although that didn’t do much to calm Jean’s nerves, _of course_ Kevin would say that - he had been obsessed with the man for as long as Jean could remember.

Slowly raising his head, Jean spotted Jeremy straight away. It was as if the light shone _directly_ on him, casting a spotlight on him. He was all that Jean could look at. Jeremy had not yet noticed Jean, his head was held done, his dirty blond curls shining golden in the sunlight. His car keys were spinning around his index finger and he watched them intently. As Jean stepped closer, he couldn’t help but think of Jeremy as a cat, stare steadily following a red laser dancing across the floor. Renee had shown Jean a video of her mother’s kitten doing that a little while ago, it had made him smile.

As if noticing Jean’s presence, Jeremy’s head snapped up. His car keys slowly came to a stop, and it was as if his whole face lit up. Warm hazel eyes shining brightly as his mouth split into a huge grin, presenting perfectly white teeth.

Jean was still at least a foot away when he came to a halt, he let his head drop down, not quite being able to reach Jeremy’s eye. He hopes the myriad of bruises concealed the flush that was slowly creeping up his cheeks.

“Jean!” Jeremy called, stepping forward and closing the space between the two of them. His hand hovered in the air beside Jean’s arm, as if he was going to reach out to Jean but thought better of it. Jean was grateful. “Boy, am I so glad to see you!” Jean listened closely, searching for any sign of sarcasm in Jeremy’s tone, he came up empty handed. Raising his head slowly, Jean finally looked into Jeremy’s eyes. They were bright, honest.

“You _are_?” Jean murmured, barely a whisper. Still, Jeremy heard him.

“Of course,” Jeremy said, smile faltering only slightly as he scanned Jean’s face. His eyes lingered on the large cut that stretched from Jean’s right cheekbone to his jaw before he quickly averted his gaze. “Just ask any of my teammates, I’ve not shut up about it since I first received the call from Kevin,” Jeremy chuckled. Jean’s eyes searched Jeremy’s, they seemed to sparkle in the sun just like every other part of him. He quickly turned away.

“Oh,” Jean chewed on his lip, mulling over Jeremy’s words in his head. Jeremy had been excited to see Jean? Jean doubted it greatly, it was probably all part of the act - get Jean to trust him, and then show his real colours. Riko had done it, why would Jeremy be any different? Jean mentally shook his head, he wasn’t going to fall for that again. He wasn’t a little boy anymore, he was never going to be that naive ever again.

“So, your bags,” Jeremy said, bringing Jean back to the present. “I’m pretty sure luggage claim is over there.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder and took a half-step before he realised Jean wasn’t following him.

“This is all I have,” Jean said, raising the duffel bag that was slung over his shoulder.

“Oh, okay,” Jeremy said, brow furrowing just briefly. “You want me to hold it for you? The walk to the car’s not long, but you must be really tired.”

“I am fine,” Jean said, the grip on his bag tightening. It didn’t go unnoticed, Jeremy just nodded, he understood that the little Jean _did_ have with him would be extremely important.

“Let’s go, then,” Jeremy grinned. With a small nod, Jean started to follow Jeremy. Jeremy walked a couple paces ahead, creating an easy path for Jean to walk through as they made their way to the exit of the airport.

Jean’s legs felt heavy beneath him, from fatigue _and_ the injuries he had sustained. Although he didn’t slow his pace, if he had shown any sign of weakness with the Ravens, Riko would have pulled him aside and made him walk twice as much as everyone else. Jean tried to remind himself that Riko was no longer there, but it did no use. Maybe Jeremy would be the same?

“Hey, you doing okay?” Jeremy asked, slowing down slightly as he glanced sideways at Jean.

“Sorry, I am going too slowly,” Jean said softly. The jetlag was catching up with him, only adding to the tiredness he normally felt from the little sleep he _did_ receive when he wasn’t trying to keep the nightmares away. His accent had grown strong and he would be surprised if Jeremy could even understand him; it didn’t seem to phase Jeremy, though.

“No, you’re fine,” Jeremy assured him, and his bright smile almost made Jean believe him. _Almost_. “The car’s not too far now, but if you’re feeling too tired I can speed ahead and drive the car back to meet you.” The thought that he might be left alone made Jean’s heart pound against his chest, his throat felt constricted. Before he realised what he was doing, he was reaching out and grabbing Jeremy’s wrist; his pale, long fingers wrapping around Jeremy’s sunkissed wrist.

“Please don’t leave me,” Jean croaked out. Jeremy’s eyes widened and he quickly shook his head.

“No, of course not,” Jeremy rushed to say. His gaze landed on Jean’s scarred hand, his middle finger that was yet to heal from it’s last break, Jean was quick to pull it away. “Shit, I’m so sorry. Kevin told me--” Jeremy’s teeth sunk into his full bottom lip as he searched for what to say. “Kevin reminded me of the Raven’s rule about going around in pairs. I promise I won’t leave you, Jean.” Some of the tension in Jean’s shoulders dissipated as he let out a sharp intake of air. He definitely didn’t trust Jeremy, but this promise would have to be enough for the time being.

“It’s fine,” Jean whispered, head bent down as they made their way down the street. They walked along in an awkward silence for a moment, Jean could basically _feel_ Jeremy searching for something to say. Jean wasn’t particularly in the mood for talking right now.

“Aren’t you hot?” Jeremy blurted out, grin still as bright as before as Jean’s gaze landed on him. Jean wasn’t sure how someone could be so happy all the time - it wasn’t natural. Couldn’t be natural. “I am and I’m used to this weather,” Jeremy said, tugging at the neck of his white t-shirt. The white made his skin look even _more_ golden. Jean shrugged, pulling the sleeves of his hoodie down further so they covered the majority of his hands. The hoodie was large, a little too big for _him_ , even. Renee had given it to him a while ago - it had belonged to her teammate, Matt - and it had become his favourite. Kevin had donated a couple of his hoodies too, but they had fit pretty well and Jean preferred his clothes being baggy on him. It helped him to hide.

“I don’t want to take the hoodie off,” Jean said.

“That’s okay,” Jeremy said, giving Jean a warm smile. “I can always turn the AC on in the car, anyway.”

They walked for another couple of minutes before Jeremy stopped beside an old Subaru Forester, its bright red paint was chipped in some places and a large scrape ran up the side of the car. Jeremy waved his hands in front of the car, as if he was revealing a prize on a game show.

“This is my baby,” he said, jumping off the curb and slapping a hand onto the roof of the car. Jean’s gaze landed on the scrape and he nodded toward it.

“Are you a good driver?” Jean asked, the tiniest hint of a smirk gracing his lips. It was enough for Jeremy, his grin seemed to impossibly broaden.

“Oh, I’m the best,” Jeremy said with a nod. “I’m just not the best at _parking_ , and anyways, it totally wasn’t my fault. The streetlight hit _me_ , not the other way round.”

“Of course,” Jean murmured, enjoying the way Jeremy’s cheeks had heated a little. The red was barely visible beneath the deep tan, but it was still there.

“Here,” Jeremy said, stepping forward and swinging open the passenger side door. He reached in and pushed the seat back a little. “More leg room,” he explained, turning back to Jean with a smile.

With a small nod, Jean stepped forward and slid into the car, pulling the door shut behind him. The ceiling was pretty low, and although he had a little room to spread his legs out, he still felt confined. He preferred it.

Spending the majority of his life in the Nest, Jean had become accustomed to the black walls that seemed to close in on you, the low ceilings that seemed to suffocate you. It had been his home, and although he wished to never return there again, the slight familiarity was still somewhat of a comfort to him.

“You doing okay?” Jeremy asked, rousing Jean from his thoughts. Jean turned to see Jeremy sat beside him, his seatbelt already buckled and key in the ignition - he hadn’t even noticed the driver’s door opening.

“Yep,” Jean said quietly. Jeremy’s gaze lingered on Jean for a couple of moments, rightfully disbelieving, but after a while he turned to the road.

“Let’s go then,” Jeremy smiled, turning the key and causing the engine to come to life with a groan. The car didn’t sound particularly healthy, and Jeremy knew deep down that she wouldn’t survive for that much longer, but she was his baby - she was his first car his parents had bought him when he’d passed his driver’s test. They’d stuck together for years and he wasn’t giving up on her that easily. It was probably unnatural to be so attached to a vehicle but Jeremy didn’t care.

“Campus is, like, twenty minutes away,” Jeremy said, reaching over and turning the AC on. “It should start to cool down pretty soon.”

“Okay,” Jean said quietly, his throat felt tight and he didn’t trust himself to give more than one word replies right now. Jean had become extremely familiar with panic attacks, and he really didn’t want to have one in Jeremy’s car.

Jean zoned out as Jeremy started to point out all the different attractions to him; he kept his gaze levelled on the window. LA was so different to anything he’d ever been used to, the tall palm trees were foreign, things he’d only ever _heard_ about, and the dusty sidewalks scattered with people seemed so surreal.

At the sight of the ocean, Jean’s stomach churned. It had been years since Jean had last stepped foot on a beach, seen a beach. Back in Marseilles, he and his family had visited the beach all the time. The day before their _‘visit to America,’_ they had taken an impromptu trip to the beach. Jean’s father had bought him an ice cream, his mother had paddled in the ocean with him - at the time he hadn’t understood. He was eleven. He didn’t know it would be one of the last times he’d ever see his family.

“--ean? _Jean_?” Jeremy called, snapping Jean back to the present. Jean turned to Jeremy slowly, his unshed tears making it hard to focus on Jeremy. He hadn’t even noticed that his breathing had started to pick up. “Are you okay? Do you need me to pull over?”

Jean opened his mouth but found it was too hard to speak, he stared at Jeremy, eyes glassy and mouth slack. He now noticed that Jeremy’s expression had changed completely - his easy grin had disappeared, his brow furrowed in concern as he watched Jean with panicked eyes.

“Don’t try and speak,” Jeremy instructed, “save your breath. That’s it, just take some deep breaths for me, okay? You’re fine. You’re going to be okay, just breathe.” Jean took deep breaths as he listened to Jeremy’s words - _you’re fine. You’re going to be okay_. 

Jean had never been fine, and he was never going to be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

“Welcome home!” Jeremy called cheerily, unlocking the door to their dormitory. He stepped aside but Jean made no move to step inside. Instead, Jean turned to face Jeremy.

“ _Home_?” Jean asked quietly, Jeremy had to strain to hear him. Jeremy nodded enthusiastically, grin still plastered across his face.

“Of course,” Jeremy said, “this is your home now, Jean.” Jeremy watched Jean as he let Jeremy’s words sink in. Jean’s eyebrows were pulled together in a frown and his mouth was downturned as he tried to grasp the concept of having a _home_ , it made Jeremy’s heart physically ache. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull this poor, sad boy into his arms, but he knew that wouldn’t be appreciated. Instead, he kept his arms glued to his sides.

“Do you want to go in and have a look?” Jeremy asked quietly, interrupting Jean’s thoughts. “This is _our_ dormitory.”

“We don’t share with anyone else?” Jean asked, turning to face Jeremy. Dark bags hung under his eyes, which could be seen even through the bruising, his voice slurred slightly and his accent was thick and strong. Jeremy was pretty sure he had never seen someone who looked so tired. He hoped Jean would trust him enough to go to sleep after he’d given him a brief tour of the dorm.

“No,” Jeremy said, flicking a hand in the air. “I used to share with Simon, but then when we signed you, we figured it would be better for you to be with me. Besides, Simon snored _really_ loudly anyway,” Jeremy smirked, attempting a joke. It fell short.

Jean’s eyes widened and it felt as if _another_ wall came up, blocking Jeremy out even more than before.

“You kicked him out because he snored loudly?” Jean asked. The way Jean was looking at Jeremy made Jeremy’s heart break - as if he couldn’t be trusted, as if he was _dangerous_. Jeremy wanted Jean to trust him, he wanted Jeremy to know that he was the least dangerous person ever. Jeremy would _never_ hurt him, he just wanted to help him.

“ _What_? No! No,” Jeremy rushed to say, “I was just joking. It was just a joke--I was being stupid. Just ignore me. Simon lives with another one of our teammates now, we all agreed that it’d be best if you stayed with me.” But as the words left Jeremy’s lips, he wasn’t sure if they were entirely true. He’d already stressed Jean out _multiple_ times, maybe one of his other teammates would’ve been better suited to look after Jean…

Jeremy quickly shook the thought away, he was the _captain_ , he looked after his teammates. A little challenge had never stopped him before. Plus, he _wanted_ to help Jean. He was going to _make_ himself the best man for the job.

“I do not want to ruin things,” Jean said, grey eyes earnest as they briefly caught Jeremy’s eye. “Your teammate should not have had to move out for me.”

“But he _wanted_ to,” Jeremy assured him. “We all want the best for you, Jean.”

“They don’t even know me,” Jean pointed out, a frown tugging at his lips. Jeremy wanted to reach up and smooth out the creases in Jean’s forehead, the frown _must_ have been tugging at his multitude of stitches. He thought better of it and did the next best thing, giving Jean a long, warm smile instead.

“But we would like to get to,” Jeremy said. “If you will let us.” Jean stayed silent for a moment, teeth worrying at the almost-healed scab that split his bottom lip. “Let’s go inside,” Jeremy said softly, not wanting to stress Jean out. It had been a close call in the car ride over to campus, and although Jeremy had witnessed _and_ dealt with panic attacks before, he felt underprepared when it came to Jean. He only knew vaguely of the things that Jean had suffered whilst in the Nest from conversations with Kevin, but he knew not to push.

“Okay,” Jean said softly, preceding Jeremy into the room.

Jeremy watched Jean intently as he scanned the dormitory, he had barely stepped over the threshold before he started surveying his new home. Jeremy followed Jean’s gaze, looking at it in the eyes of a stranger. It was pretty clean - unusually so, as Jeremy had stopped off before to tidy the place before Jean came - but it was also homely too. An old couch that had once belonged to Jeremy’s parents sat in the middle of the room, facing a large TV and guarded by a couple of bean bags on either end. Their desks were pressed up against the wall opposite the window, Jeremy’s was still a little messy, scattered with random pieces of paper and school books, whilst Jean’s was completely empty.

“It is bright,” Jean observed, looking at the rays of sunshine that danced against the white walls, creating a small rainbow. It made Jeremy smile.

“Is that a bad thing?” Jeremy asked.

“I like it,” Jean said quietly, glancing sideways at Jeremy. Jeremy’s smile broadened.

After a quick look at the kitchenette and the bathroom - which reminded Jeremy that he still needed to talk to Jean about the bathroom situation. Jeremy was more than happy to not leave Jean alone, but he wasn’t entirely sure how that worked when it came to using the shower or going to the toilet. Still, he would shower _in front_ of Jean if it meant that he would be comfortable.

“And here’s the bedroom,” Jeremy said, pushing the door open at the end of the hallway and stepping aside so Jean could step in first.

Jeremy probably should have put as much attention in cleaning the bedroom _as well_ as the living room, because the few items of his clothing which were strewn across the floor made him out to be some sort of slob. Which he was _not_... really.

Jean’s silence was heavy, and Jeremy turned to see his eyes fixed on the sheets on the spare bed - Jean’s new bed. His heart sunk. Why had the thought not occurred to him that the sheets were _black_?

Jean’s breathing had picked up again, and every now and then his breath would catch, rasping in his throat. Jeremy’s stomach churned as he silently cursed himself - why hadn’t he been more careful?

“Jean, I am _so_ sorry,” Jeremy said, hazel eyes sad and earnest as they searched Jean’s eyes. “Please forgive me. I’m such an idiot--it just totally slipped my mind.” Jeremy crossed the room in record speed, tugging at the sheets and ripping them off the bed, he held the bundle tightly in his hands, trying to hide them.

Jean was fighting to catch his breath, his stare was heavy as he kept his head down and bored a hole into the floorboards beneath him.

“Ça va,” Jean murmured, not even registering that he had switched to French. Jeremy looked at him with interest. “Je suis désolée, Jeremy,” Jean mumbled.

Jeremy knew a little French from his high school class, but he was in no way _fluent_ ; still, he understood the gist of what Jean was trying to say.

“ _You_ shouldn’t be sorry, Jean,” Jeremy said softly. “It was my mistake. We need to go to the store anyway to get you some stuff, we’ll get some new sheets then.” Jean watched him with wide eyes.

“Vous parlez français?” Jean asked, with something that sounded particularly like hope. Jeremy gave Jean a sheepish grin.

“I wouldn’t go _that_ far,” Jeremy said. “I know a little from high school, but I would love to learn. Maybe you could teach me?”

“You want to _learn_?” Jean asked, eyebrows flying up.

“Of course,” Jeremy nodded. “If you feel more comfortable talking in French, I want to be able to understand you, to be able to talk to you.”

“Sometimes it’s just easier,” Jean said quietly, his gaze had dropped again as if he was embarrassed, and he stared at his hands.

“That’s fine,” Jeremy smiled. “French is a beautiful language, I would love to be able to speak it.” Jean’s head snapped up and he looked at Jeremy closely, as if he was analysing him, searching for any sign that might have shown Jeremy was lying. Jeremy just smiled back at him - he was being honest, he _did_ believe French was a beautiful language, and he would love to be able to learn it if Jean was willing to teach him.

“Okay,” Jean said quietly - it wasn’t a yes or a no, but it was enough. Jeremy turned back to the room with a grin and a nod.

“So, this is your side of the room,” Jeremy said, pointing to the bare side of the room. “Excuse the mess, I’m not normally this bad,” Jeremy lied, bending down to pick up the stray items of clothing. He glanced over his shoulder but Jean was completely immersed in staring at his side of the room, Jeremy’s heart rate picked up as he started to worry that he’d done something wrong again, but Jean didn’t look upset. He looked intrigued.

“Are you okay?” Jeremy asked quietly, not wanting to make Jean jump.

“My bed is next to the window,” Jean said plainly, glancing quickly to Jeremy.

“Yes,” Jeremy nodded. “Is that a problem? We could always move--” Jean cut him off with a sharp shake of the head.

“No, I, um, like the window,” Jean admitted quietly. “I didn’t have a window in my old room.” Jeremy’s stomach churned, as it always did whenever he heard anything about the Nest or the Moriyamas, his heart throbbed for Jean, for what he’d gone through.

“Well, I’m glad you have one now, then,” Jeremy said with a grin. “I want you to be happy here, Jean, so if there’s anything you need, or _want_ , just tell me.”

“Thank you,” Jean said, turning slowly to Jeremy. “ _Really_.”


	3. Chapter 3

Jean had initially been sceptical when Jeremy had offered his bed for Jean to sleep in - Jeremy was basically a _stranger_. But he wasn’t. He was a good person - or so Jean hoped - he was Jean’s new teammate, and Kevin seemed to trust him. Jean didn’t _want_ to trust him, but he could feel the walls he’d built up slowly crumbling down, and that was _scary_. He’d only known Jeremy for a few hours, and already Jean was starting to feel too comfortable around him. Still, Jean could only deny for _so_ long that he wasn’t tired, and when his legs almost buckled beneath him, he knew Jeremy would never believe him. That was how he ended up falling asleep in Jeremy’s bed just after midday.

Four hours later, Jean’s eyes snapped open - the room was unfamiliar and Jeremy’s scent was strange, not _bad_ , just different. Jean’s breathing picked up and he had to remind himself to take a few deep breaths, Jeremy hadn’t done anything to him, _yet_. He was still safe for the moment.

The bedroom door was open, just as Jeremy had promised, and Jean could hear the low hum of the TV from the living room. Before he could put too much thought into it, he slowly swung his long legs over the side of Jeremy’s bed, and trailed out of the room.

The dormitory was a little hot, despite Jeremy having the windows wide open, and for a moment, Jean considered removing his hoodie. He quickly dismissed the idea as being ridiculous, he didn’t feel comfortable enough around Jeremy to show him his scars, besides, he didn’t want to scare Jeremy off. Instead, he reluctantly pulled his hood down.

His dark brown hair had been clipped short to try and conceal the slow regrowth of the hair that Riko had literally _ripped_ from his scalp. His head was still sore although healing, but that didn’t make him feel any better about it.

“ _Jean_!” Jeremy called enthusiastically, dragging his eyes away from the TV, his gaze lingered briefly on the uneven patches of Jean’s hair before he looked into Jean’s eyes. Jean turned away quickly, it felt strange for Jeremy to look into his eyes like that, it was as if he could see inside him. “I hope I didn’t wake you up. Sorry if the TV was too loud.”

“The TV was fine,” Jean said quietly, hovering awkwardly by the side of the couch. Jeremy was sitting cross legged as he looked up at Jean, his face lit up in a wide grin. He patted the couch cushion beside him.

“Come, sit down,” Jeremy said. After a moment of deliberation, Jean made his way over and sat slowly on the couch, careful not to jar his still-healing injuries. Still, he winced slightly at the pain that seared through his right side.

“Are you okay?” Jeremy asked, eyes growing worried.

“I am fine,” Jean said, shifting around until he was comfortable. “Just a little sore.” Jeremy’s eyes grew sad, and Jean secretly thought he looked a little like a sad puppy - he didn’t like Jeremy looking sad, especially not for _him_. “It is fine,” Jean dismissed. “It is nothing.”

“It’s not _nothing_ ,” Jeremy said quietly. “If it’s affecting you, it’s not nothing.”

“I have had worse,” Jean said with a half shrug. Jeremy opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but clamped it shut quickly, he turned back to the TV with a quick shake of his head.

Jean had no idea what Jeremy was watching on the TV, but he wasn’t particularly interested either. Instead, he let his gaze search the room; he noticed a couple of photographs of the Trojans pinned just above Jeremy’s desk. Jean’s eyes landed on Jeremy first _every_ time, he was too hard to miss - Jeremy had such a big presence that Jean had never encountered before. Riko had had a big presence too, but Jeremy was different - whilst Riko was like the grim reaper, Jeremy was an angel - symbolising good whilst Riko was always bad.

“You’ll meet the rest of our teammates next month,” Jeremy said abruptly, making Jean jump - he tried to hide the flinch but failed. “They come back towards the beginning of August. Until then, it’s just me and you.”

“Me and you,” Jean repeated, turning back to Jeremy slowly.

“Yes,” Jeremy nodded. “Is that okay?”

“I think so,” Jean said. When Jeremy grinned at Jean, he couldn’t help the hint of a smile that broke out on his lips.

“Maybe we can see Laila and Alvarez before the semester starts, though,” Jeremy thought aloud. “Neither of them have gone on vacation.”

Jean continued to look over the room, his gaze finally landing on a skateboard that was perched up in one corner of the room.

“Can you skate, Jean?” Jeremy asked, following Jean’s gaze with a grin on his face.

“ _No_ ,” Jean said, nose wrinkling as he turned back to Jeremy. “When would I have ever learned how to skate? When would I have ever _needed_ to learn how to skate?”

“True,” Jeremy conceded, running a hand through his blonde curls. “Well, it’s kind of like a rite of passage to living in California. I can _teach_ you!” Jeremy called enthusiastically, as if the thought had only just occurred to him.

“Are you good?” Jean asked.

“ _Well_ ,” Jeremy said, flashing Jean an amused grin. “I’m probably no worse at skating than I am at driving.”

“Mediocre, then?” Jean supplied. Jeremy’s eyebrows flew up, and for a moment, Jean wished he’d kept his mouth shut, he’d made Jeremy angry. He was going to have to pay.

Instead of Jeremy lunging forward and _attacking_ Jean though, he threw his head back and burst out laughing.

“You’re not wrong,” Jeremy said once he had composed himself enough to speak. “I think you’re going to get on very well with Alvarez.” Jean didn’t know much about Alvarez, so he gave Jeremy a small smile as he shrugged.

After that, they fell into a comfortable silence, Jeremy watched the TV and although Jean’s eyes were locked on the screen, his mind was elsewhere. His brain felt _tired_ \- unsurprisingly, four hours’ worth of sleep in Jeremy’s bed was _not_ enough to catch up on weeks of sleepless nights. His eyelids felt heavy as the screen blurred in front of him.

“You can head back to bed if you want,” Jeremy said softly.

“I am fine,” Jean said quickly, widening his eyes and blinking quickly. He scolded himself for almost allowing himself to fall asleep in front of a very much awake Jeremy, they barely even knew each other. He shouldn’t feel that comfortable already.

“If you want, I can go set your bed up now,” Jeremy suggested, reaching over and pausing the TV. “I have some spare sheets you can use until we go shopping. I can’t imagine how tired you are.”

The idea of being able to sleep _did_ sound good, and before Jean could put too much thought into it, he was nodding slowly.

“Okay,” Jean said quietly.

“ _Great_!” Jeremy jumped up from the couch with a grin. Slowly, Jean rose and stood beside him; he watched as Jeremy’s head tilted back slightly as he looked up at Jean. “Y’know, I’ve never really realised how tall you are before.”

It was true, Jean was basically a whole _foot_ taller than Jeremy. Subconsciously, Jean slumped his shoulders and held his head down, trying to make himself feel smaller. Riko had always hated how much taller Jean was than him, he had punished him as if it was _Jean’s_ fault.

“I like it,” Jeremy said, grinning up at Jean. Jean felt his cheeks start to flush, and he chewed on his bottom lip, careful not to split his healing lip.

“Would I be allowed to have a shower before I go to bed?” Jean asked quietly.

“Of course!” Jeremy smiled. “You don’t have to ask me, Jean, this is your dorm _too_ now.”

“Okay,” Jean said, waiting for Jeremy to lead the way to the bathroom.

Once Jeremy had handed Jean a fresh towel and had pointed out where his shower gel and shampoo was, he hovered awkwardly in the doorway.

“So, um, how do you want to do this?” Jeremy asked, dragging a couple fingers through his curls. “I mean, I’m more than happy to stay here if you want me to, but--where do you want me to go, Jean?”

Jean stayed silent as he slowly examined the room, there was no shower curtain but a glass, transparent door instead. That ruled out Jeremy being able to stay in the actual _room_ with him, he didn’t want Jeremy to be able to see him. He reached out of the doorway and turned down the hall, the bedroom was barely a foot away.

“You can go in the bedroom,” Jean said finally.

“ _Really_?” Jeremy asked, eyebrows flying up. “I don’t want to leave you on your own, Jean.”

“It’s fine,” Jean said quickly, “I just want to be able to hear you.”

“Okay,” Jeremy said slowly, his smile stretching across his mouth. “I can do that.”

“Thank you,” Jean said.

With the water turned on, Jean listened to Jeremy’s incessant rambling as he talked about everything from Exy to the store they were going to visit tomorrow. Jean wasn’t entirely sure what he was talking about, but it was a comfort to be able to hear him.

Once Jean had stepped out of the shower, feeling a little less groggy, he pulled Jeremy’s spare towel around him. His phone chimed with a notification in the pocket of his jeans, he pulled it out to see a message from Kevin:

_Don’t be stubborn, Jean. You can talk to Jeremy, trust him._

Sliding his phone back into his pocket, Jean felt a small weight be lifted off his chest. He tuned back into Jeremy’s chatter about his favourite flavour ice cream.

**Author's Note:**

> The title is based on 'Home' by One Direction.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this! I'm not sure how long it will be, but hopefully I'll keep uploading. I just love Jean so much and he deserves to be happy!  
> Kudos and comments are appreciated, hope you enjoy! :)<3


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